Painting with a knife


I took a one-day class in knife painting when I visited Honolulu almost four years ago and completed a canvas painted solely with a knife. It was difficult for me to adjust to the knife but the results were pretty good for a novice (see “Flaming Lava” above). I gave the painting to my nephew who lives in Waipahu.

Since then, I tried to incorporate a few knife strokes on my canvasses but have not been able to complete one solely with a knife. I have watched a few videos about it and was transfixed with the ease with which the artists had filled the surface with stunning results. Ten days ago, I went to an art store and bought a couple more painting knives to work with. Instead of starting with a simple picture, I opted to paint the arms and hands of a farmer, and I am struggling. I will continue working on it this weekend and post the results upon completion. I hope it won’t take me too long.

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